Newsmaker Q&a: Mike Fehnel

Mike Fehnel, who started his career at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom… (HANDOUT, THE MORNING CALL )

August 03, 2013|By Scott Kraus, Of The Morning Call

Mike Fehnel, who started his career at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in 1992 at age 14 running the whack-a-mole game, was promoted to general manager of the South Whitehall Township amusement park last week. Fehnel, now 36, lives in Breinigsville with his wife, Tinsley, and kids Carter, 6, and Thomas, 3. He is the subject of this week's Q&A.

Q: What made you want to work at Dorney?

A: My sister worked here in merchandise. I always thought it was really fun to play the games, and if it's fun to play the games then it would be fun to work them. There was a job fair. I was one of the lucky 14-year-olds who got hired. There's not a lot of jobs for 14-year-olds.

Q: You started in whack-a-mole, was that the game you were hoping for?

A: I didn't care. You don't necessarily work the same game all the time. That was the first one, that one definitely sticks out in my mind.

Q: Is there a secret to being a good whack-a-mole operator?

A: You have to be outgoing and personable and to be able to go on the microphone and not mind hearing yourself talk. Anybody who knows me knows I love to talk.

Q: When did you think you might want to have a career at Dorney?

A: I was in college. I was going for elementary education. Like everyone, I was scared about what are you going to do, where are you going to work. There was an opening for games manager. I had been one of the top supervisors. But I said, I've got to finish college and I can't quit school. They hired someone else, about a year went by and I was just finishing up and it opened up again. I said, you know. teaching is great and I can have my summers off or I can spend all summer at an amusement park.

Q: What's the craziest thing you remember doing while you worked at Dorney?

A: Everyone around here knows when you work here we do all kinds of different things. I really look forward to the [Halloween] Haunt setup. You might be driving a tractor. I have somehow found out how to drive a backhoe, so I dig the graves for the zombies. We say just another day at the office.

Q: You met your wife at Dorney when you were both games supervisors, was there a rivalry?

A: She was the upper games supervisor and I was the lower games supervisor. We are both very competitive, she would occasionally steal cups from me.

Q: Was there a magic Dorney Park moment?

A: There was no Dorney Park moment. There is a lot of camaraderie when you work here. We didn't start dating until after she left. She was coming home for Christmas break from Penn State, I was at Kutztown, and we went to a movie.

Q: You remember what movie it was?

A: Titanic.

Q: What do your kids think of your job?

A: I'm the coolest dad at day care by far, and they are here all the time. I will bring them in all winter long and take them on rides and for golf cart rides around the park. They are at the age when they even love going to the warehouse and watching the FedEx truck back up. I don't think they understand that not everyone gets to experience what they get to experience. We spend so much time at work. I think it is important for your kids to know where you are when you are not with them.

Q: What is your all-time favorite Dorney Park moment?

A: I'm not sure. It's yet to come. I am really starting a new adventure here and we are going to do a lot of great things in the future. We have a lot of great things planned for the park … in all honesty I am looking forward to the future.